


Paladin

by phaedra4



Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 05:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7832533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phaedra4/pseuds/phaedra4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Requested - Can you do a reader x Khadgar where the readers half human half-blood elf? He finds her in silvermoon city in the mage sector?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paladin

Khadgar sighed in relief as he finally rode through the gates of Silvermoon City. After days of riding and hours in the saddle he was beginning to ache, but he couldn’t afford to relax.

He kept the hood of his cloak up as he slowed to a walk and tried to avoid catching the eye of any of the unseemly types milling around. 

Blood Elves and Tauren and even Forsaken passed within feet of him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he felt an itch in between his shoulder blades, as if he expect a knife to appear there at any moment. He flexed his fingers and resisted the urge to summon enough arcane magic to level the place and rid the world of the horde filth living there. 

He closed his eyes and steeled himself, reminding himself why he was there.

Azeroth was still rife with horde creatures, but that was not today’s battle.

Turning the horse with a nudge from his knees he headed further into the city. It was early in the evening and the sky was beginning to darken. Around him lamps flickered into life and windows lit up with the orange glow of candlelight. 

Around him traders closed up their businesses for the night and Blood Elves and Tauren rushed past him, heading home after a day working. City guards patrolled in pairs, keeping a watchful eye over all in the city as night approached and work gave way to recreation. He heard chatter and laughter and music from the cities taverns as he passed them and for a moment it all felt almost normal, barely any different from Stormwind. 

He shook his head and had to remind himself of what kind of creatures dwelled her. Though there were many ordinary people here, there were those who weren’t. These weren’t average traders and workers and soldiers. These were horde. They killed and pillaged wrought destruction wherever they went with no regards for the lives of the innocent. Having an established city did not make them civilised, it made them mercenaries with walls to hide behind. 

Khadgar wove slowly through the streets, never taking his hood down, until he found an inn in the mage sector that seemed quieter than the rest. The faded sign above the door showed a young woman with overly large breasts hanging out of a dress and named the establishment as The Maiden. There was noise from inside. He could hear subdued chatter and the sound of a harp being played badly. He dismounted and fished around in his pocket and tossed a copper to the young blood elf boy outside. The boy took the coin with a grin that made Khadgar’s skin crawl and took his horse by the reins, leading the animal to the shabby excuse for a stable. 

He pushed the door open and ducked inside. Inside the room was dull and dingy, the candles burning low and only a small fire burning in the hearth. The walls were a dark, stained wood and Khadgar suspected they nor any of the dozen or so mismatched tables scattered around the room had been cleaned in some time. Patrons sat at half the tables nursing mugs of ail and plates of some kind of meat Khadgar was afraid to guess at the nature of. On a large table by the fire several Tauren and a few men were playing a game of dice, piles of copper and silver pieces piled in front of them. 

The rotund, balding landlord stood behind the bar with his burly arms crossed over his chest as he surveyed the inn. 

Wanting not to draw too much attention to himself Khadgar seated himself alone at a table on the far side of the room, as far away from the gamblers as he could get. 

After a moment one of the serving girls approached him. She was pretty, prettier than any girl Khadgar had ever seen before.

She smiled at him questioningly, awaiting the answer to a question he hadn’t heard as he sat gawping at her.

“Umm.. I’m sorry.. what?” he finally stammered after coming to his senses.

She laughed and shook her head “I said what can I get you?” she repeated.

“Um wine, please, wine. And a room, y-you do have rooms, don’t you?” he fumbled around, looking for coins and managing to miss his pocket half a dozen times. His mind was fuzzy, how could he be expected to concentrate when her eyes were so _captivating._

She smiled and nodded “We have rooms, a single bed will cost you two silver pieces for the night. How long will you be staying?”

“One night” he said, finally pulling a handful of coins out of his hand. He handed her two silver coins for the room, a copper for the drink and a third silver for herself. She smiled sweetly at him as she tucked it into her apron. 

She thanked him then departed to get his drink. Khadgar watched her go, blushing furiously when he couldn’t stop his gaze from falling to her hips and backside. 

A minute later she was back with a cup of wine and a small brass key “Room 17, top floor. It’s not one of our most luxurious I’m afraid but you’ll be comfortable.” She smiled “I just need your name?”

“My.. my name?” he asked, blinking at her. 

She laughed at him, a glorious sound, like wind chimes in a spring breeze “For the books, we can’t go about renting rooms to people with no names can we?” she chuckled.

“Oh.. of course” he laughed awkwardly “Khadgar, my name is Khadgar.” 

She nodded “Lovely to have you with us Master Khadgar.”

She smiled again and turned to leave, having other costumers to deal with “Wait” He called after her retreating back. She turned back to him. God she was beautiful. He didn’t think he’d ever seen skin so beautiful and clear, like the finest marble statue sculpted by the most gifted of hands.

“Yes?” she asked when he said nothing.

“Your- your name?” he asked, snapping back to his senses one again “What’s your name?”

A smile curled the corner of her perfectly plump lips “Y/N” she said, before turning and walking away again. 

 

Khadgar rose early, just at the sun was beginning to rise. It had been an uneasy night in the tiny room on the top floor of the three story inn. Silvermoon was a city that never slept and Khadgar had been awake long into the night, listening in the darkness to the sounds of fighting on the streets below. It was not a sound he was used to and though the night would eventually settle down and fall silence, the uneasy quiet was often pierced by distant screams. 

When he woke he washed and dressed quickly before leaving, deciding to skip breakfast entirely. 

The streets of Silvermoon were busy even in the early morning. Traders opened up shop, children ran errands and played in the streets and the guards where on patrol as always. 

Khadgar kept his hood up and slipped quietly through the streets, opening to remain unseen. It had taken a while to convince Lothar he needed to visit the city but in the end he had convinced him. The older man felt a fatherly fondness of the younger mage and didn’t much like the idea of letting him lose alone in a city known to be popular with members of the hoard, but Khadgar had managed to convince him that he simply _did not_ understand mage business and couldn’t appreciate the importance of gathering the ancient lore books Khadgar had heard were in the city.

Those books could hold countless secrets about the enemy. About the way they fought and trained and even lived. If a weakness in their hierarchy or army or culture was to be found Khadgar believed it would be in those books. They could give the Alliance an invaluable advantage in the war. 

Lothar had of course wanted to storm and sack the city and find the books that way, but it hadn’t taken much more than a whisper in Taria’s ear to put a stop to anything that foolish and so Khadgar got his way and was given leave to go alone. 

Khadgar left Stormwind very quietly pleased with himself and feeling quite smug. 

That lasted less than a day after arriving in Silvermoon. 

He walked for hours, searching. In truth, he had nothing more than rumours whispered in shadows in the dead of night to go and had no idea where to look. The Kirin Tor, if they knew of these books, denied all knowledge to him and were of no help at all.

He visited merchants, libraries and even three traders of ancient and rare books, and found nothing. 

When he returned to The Maiden that even his mood was ill and his patience grown thin. 

The common room was fuller than last night but he still managed to find an empty table. There was a bard performing tonight, regaling the patrons with a tale of death and revenge and a spurned lover. 

Khadgar leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.

A few moments later Y/N approached him “I didn’t expect to see you again M’Lord Khadgar” she noted.

He blushed furiously and smiled up at her, forgetting his ill temper “I’m not a Lord, it’s just Khadgar.” He said.

She nodded once “Anything to drink then?”

He pulled coins from his pocket “Wine, please. My task may take longer than I expected, I’d like to stay another night if I may?”

She grinned “Of course. Anything to eat?” she asked.

He nodded, suddenly ravenous “Yes, yes actually.” He said. 

“I’ll have something brought out.” She took the coins he offered and disappeared, reappearing moment later with the wine “Shouldn’t be long” she smiled.

“Wait.” He said as she turned to leave again, reaching out to grab her hand. A flush rushed up his neck when he looked down at her slim, delicate fingers in his hand. The warmth of them, the smoothness of her skin.

“Khadgar?”

He brought his gaze back up to hers “What.. what are you? I mean.. you’re not… you’re not entirely human.. are you?” he asked, feeling completely inappropriate and utterly transfixed. There _was_ something about her. The colour of her eyes, the barely noticeable silvery sheen to her skin, the high curve of her cheek bones. She was more than human.

“Very perceptive” she said and pulled back her long hair to reveal pointed ears “half-blood elf.” 

“You’re.. you’re beautiful.”

She laughed and a slight pinkness blossomed in her cheeks “Thank you” she chuckled.

He pulled his hand away, blushing yet again and smiling sheepishly when he realised what he’d said “Your food will be along shortly.” She said, before giving him a look, puzzling look, and leaving. 

 

The next day was the same. Khadgar trawled the city for hours, looking in all kinds of places. He visited merchants who didn’t usually deal with books and enquired about libraries in some of the large estates surrounding the city, he checked small bookcases in taverns and even visited with a mage in the city, and still found nothing. 

The city was beginning to get to him. He felt as though there were unseen eyes on his almost constantly and that itch between his shoulder blades wouldn’t go away. He was sure the guards had noticed him roaming the city and always hiding in his hood by now and he suspected they had begun to watch him.

He needed to get out of there soon. But he still needed to find those books. 

On the third day he made a breakthrough when an old washerwoman he happened to find in a shady market area recognised the pencil drawing of the design of the front cover of one of the books. She had seemed startled at first, almost afraid when she recognised the drawing of the strange symbol. It had taken all the charm he could muster and three cups of very strong ale served to her out of a barrel from a nearby seller to calm her down, and then she would only tell him the name of the man once rumoured to be in possession of the books; Delmon Raidus. 

After a third day of fruitless searching Khadgar was feeling mightily frustrated. He was tired, finding little sleep in the city and wanted to be gone.

When Y/N brought him his evening meal on his third day in the city he asked her advice.

“Y/N” He said, causing her to stop. 

“Have you ever heard of this man? Delmon Raidus?”

Y/N’s face paled dramatically and she looked around the room, her eyes wide with alarm, to make sure no one had overheard them, before dropping down in the seat next to him, her hand landing on his wrist.

“Where did you hear that name?” she hissed, her voice barely more than a frantic whisper. 

He frowned, confused, and explained quickly. Leaving out the details, he said only that he was searching for an item of great value and believed that man had it. 

What little colour remained drained from Y/N’s face he she spoke and she began shaking her head, her hands trembling “Khadgar, abandon your quest, leave the city, tonight.” She said once he was finished, her eyes darting around to see if anyone was listening in.

He frowned and leaned closer, covering her hand with his own to stay the trembling “What is it? Why are you so afraid?”

She shook her head again, glancing around the room “You must leave. First thing in the morning. Before daylight.”

He opened his mouth to probe her further but Y/N stood, pulling her hands away from him and plastered back on her smile, walking away without another word. 

 

Khadgar was troubled. Y/N didn’t come near him again all night and instead one of the other serving girls brought his drinks. He didn’t stay in the common room long and retired to his room only an hour after their strange conversation. 

He would not leave, no matter how insistent she was. His task was far too important. And he was a mage, he had seen battle before, whatever frightened her so much he was sure he could handle it. 

He was preparing for dead, washing the grime of the day away in the basin by his bed when there was a quiet knock on his door.

He paused and waited.

No one had visited him here before. 

The hour was late, long past sunset and far too late for a casual visitor to be knocking on the door in search of a friend staying at the inn. 

A second knock came a moment later, quicker this time, insistent. 

Slowly, he crossed the room and paused with his hand on the door handle. He summoned magic and held it, swirling around his hand as he pulled the door open a crack.

Outside he found Y/N, glancing each why down the hallway but she pushed the door open and slipped inside, shutting the door with a sharp snap behind her.

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” he asked, letting the spell die. 

Her hands where on his shoulders, pushing him away from the door. She pulled the drapes across the window before speaking “Quietly, someone could hear us.” 

He frowned at her “Who? Who might hear us?”

She shushed him furiously, still glancing around the room fearfully and guided him back to the bed, pushing him down gently and sitting beside him “Why are you here?”

“I.. I told you. I need to find something.”

“No” she shook her head “People don’t just go _looking_ for the kinds of things Raidus has in his possession. He’s a dangerous man and whatever it is you’re looking for, you won’t find it.”

“Who is this man, this Raidus?”

She shivered and grimaced, as if recalling a traumatic memory “The merchants, the Lord Regent, not even the Prince, they don’t run this city. Raidus does. They may appear to be in charge here but it’s all a front. Raidus owns this city and everyone in it. Including me. Including you. You can’t get close to him. No one can. He has every man in this city under his control, you can’t reach him. This thing, this item you want? Forget about it. Put it to the back of your mind and let it become a faded, dusty old memory. Leave Silvermoon, never come back and never speak of Raidus, or what you seek again. There’s nothing there for you, only death.”

She leaned in close, holding his attention with a fierce gaze and an intensity like ice to her voice when she spoke and he could almost feel the shadows in the corners of the rooms closing in on him.

“Y/N, I can’t do that. You don’t understand.”

She grasped his hands desperately “Khadgar please! _You_ don’t understand. You can’t imagine the power he had. Raidus is a Death Knight. He deals in blood magic. Please, there is nothing but death awaiting you if you pursue this.”

He pulled his hands from hers then took hold of hers “I’m sorry, I know you’re afraid, but I have to do this. I’m a mage Y/N. I can take care of myself.” He paused and swallowed, glancing down at her hands in his “I can get you out of here. Out of Silvermoon. I can take you with me when I leave, you won’t have to live in fear anymore.”

She smiled, but it was a sad, empty smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She pulled her hands away then looked up at him “You’re a sweet but foolish man.” She reached up, her hand landing gently on his cheek and she leaned in, quickly pressing her lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss before pulling away and slipping out of the room faster than his mind could comprehend what was happening. 

 

He didn’t leave. Despite her insistence and the fear in her eyes when she spoke Khadgar knew he couldn’t leave. Raidus may be a Death Knight, but Khadgar was a mage, he would be guardian one day. He couldn’t step down from his task.  

Y/N barely spared him a glance the following morning when he sat down to eat before leaving for the day. He wanted to speak to her again and assure her there was nothing to fear with him around but it was clear that she was avoiding him and despite their kiss he left that day with a sour feeling in his stomach. 

Armed with his new information Khadgar headed straight for Murder Row, where the most seedy and untrustworthy types could be found. 

Steeling himself, he entered the Rogue guild. 

It was a dimly lit building full of shifting eyes and twitchy sword hands and Khadgar felt an uneasy shiver creep up his spine. If information was to found anywhere, he was willing to bet it would here. 

Walking slowly, as not to attract attention Khadgar approached a grubby bearded man with a nose that had clearly been broken several times and a sinister smirk who was cleaning his fingernails with a belt knife “Excuse me friend” Khadgar said, clearing his throat and trying to appear as nonthreatening and possible.

The man paused and looked Khadgar up and down, sizing him up before sneering at the younger man and tucking the knife away in his sleeve.

“You pick a dangerous place to approach a man you don’t know and call him friend, boy.”

That was definitely a warning.

Khadgar nodded, his fingers flexing warily “Apologise. I mean no trouble. I’m looking for a man, perhaps you could help me?”

The man didn’t speak. Behind him Khadgar could see others straightening, watching the exchange as their hands settled on sword hilts. 

“I’m looking for Delmon Raidus. Do you know him?”

There was a long, tense pause as the question hung in the air and every man nearby froze for a second. Then, glancing back at the others, the man roared with laughter. 

Khadgar stood, shocked and confused as the room around him erupted into laughter at his question. Where they mad? Had Y/N lied to him about Raidus?

He frowned and opened his mouth to question the men when the bearded man turned and slammed a fist in Khadgar’s nose. Khadgar went blind for a moment, pain erupting in his face as he brought his hands up to clutch his bloody mess of a nose as he stumbled backwards.

Before he could regain his composure enough to defend himself he was tackled by another of the men. He was thrown backwards and slammed into a wall where two others rushed forward to pin his arms against the wall. 

He spoke quickly, summoning magic and releasing an arcane blast. With his arms pinned he couldn’t aim and the spell shot off over the heads of his attackers and the half dozen others watching the scene. 

Fear seized him when a hand was clamped down over his mouth and his sleeve was ripped back, revealing the mark. It was much like the first time he and Lothar had met, though this time he truly feared for this life.

“Alliance spy are you boy?” The bearded man snarled. A knife appeared in his hand and was pressed against his throat, digging into the skin. 

He shook his head furiously but they only laughed at him once again. 

“You’ve stumbled down the wrong alleyway mage, we don’t tolerate your kind here. Silvermoon belongs to us, you understand that? Go back to wherever you came from. You tell them, tell the Alliance, tell the Kirin Tor, Silvermoon belongs to Raidus. Come here again and we’ll kill you all. Do you understand?” panic rippled through Khadgar when he felt a trickle of blood run down his throat “DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” He nodded furiously, his chest heaving. 

The bearded man stepped away “Good” he said, turning away from him “Let him go lad.” The others released him and Khadgar fell to his hands and knees, gasping for air. Slowly, he pulled himself back up onto shaky legs. 

The bearded man spun, without warning and plunged the dagger into Khadgar’s side. 

Khadgar lurched, almost falling and bringing a trembling hand up to the blade protruding from between his ribs. It came away red and bloody.

“Get him out of here, he won’t be attacking anybody.”

Rough hands seized him again and dragged him away, bundling Khadgar out and tossing him out into the dusty alleyway outside, leaving him to die. 

 

Khadgar lay slumped against the side of a building, clutching his bleeding side and breathing heavily. 

He was dying. 

The life lay in a pool of his blood next to his hand.

How had he been so _foolish._ Lothar had gotten the best of him once and he should’ve known to better defend himself to avoid his mouth being covered. He never listened, he always thought he knew best and could take care of himself. And now look where that had gotten him, dying in a filthy alleyway behind an old tanners shop. 

He wondered what would happen to his body after he’d gone. Would he lie here and rot until his bones crumbled and turned to stone? Or would some feral slat ribbed dogs come find him after his left breath had left him and pick the meat off his bones. 

Perhaps someone would move him, throw him in an unmarked grave or even burn him to safe the effort of a burial. 

Maybe Lothar would come looking for him. He hadn’t expected to be this long, maybe when he didn’t return to Stormwind Lothar would begin to worry and would come to find him. That would be nice. He’d have a proper burial that way. 

“Idiot! I told you to leave!”

Khadgar looked up as Y/N rounded the corner and rushed to his side, kicking the knife away and pulling at his tunic to examine the wound in his side. 

She looked different now, instead of the dress and apron she wore in the inn she wore breeches, a short jacket and boots. Her hair was pulled back, demanding full attention for her strikingly beautiful features and uncovering her ears. She had knifes tucked into her boots and up her sleeves and what looked like a small crossbow strapped to her back. 

“What.. what’re…”

“Quiet” she snapped, frowning in concentration. She laid her hands on his bare skin, one either side of the wound “Do you trust me?” she asked.

He tried to speak but managed only a nod. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, much more fiercely than the last time. As she did a surge of cold energy rushed through him and his body tensed. He pulled away and grit his teeth as he felt the wound in his side knit back together and the strength returning to his limbs. 

When she pulled away from him he stared at her in amazement “Who are you?” he asked, astounded that what he thought was a simple barmaid was much, much more and had come to rescue. 

She smirked “I told you, my name is Y/N”

She grasped his arm and pulled him to his feet before fetching the knife that had almost ended his life and cleaning it on her leg before tucking it into her belt.

“You’re a…”

“Paladin” she finished for him as he felt at his side, amazed that he wasn’t dead “We have to move, they’re looking for you.”

She walked away, leaving Khadgar with no choice but to follow. 

“What is going on here?” he asked, jogging to catch up with her. 

The way she walked now, the way she carried herself was different. Her back was straighter, her shoulders sturdier and her head held higher.

“What’s going on is you almost got yourself killed. I told you not to go after Raidus, I told you to leave.”

“Hey, I can take care of myself.” He insisted.

“Really? Because to me it looks like you almost got yourself killed.”

Her tone was different now too, she was no longer the sweet, smiley barmaid who served him his food. Now she was more firm, assertive. She was still beautiful, but before she had a soft, delicate beauty to her. Now when he looked at her he saw a fierce, striking beauty in her. 

“I don’t understand, what are you doing here?” he ignored her previous statement. 

Finally she stopped and turned to face him “Listen Khadgar, there’s a lot more going on there than you know. _We know_ Raidus is trouble. That’s why I’m here, I’m supposed to infiltrate and kill him. At least, that was the plan until you came along.” 

She turned again and resume her brisk walk through the twisting alleyways, forcing him to follow her. 

“Who sent you here? Who are you?”

“I can’t tell you that, not here. You’re with the Alliance, aren’t you?” He nodded and she cursed under her breath muttering “damnit, typical of the alliance to send a damned Kirin Tor mage in here to mess everything up.” 

“I’m sorry” he said, blushing in shame “I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t” she said “the Alliance isn’t known for its subtlety.”

“Where are we doing?” he asked. 

“We’re leaving Silvermoon and you’re taking me to Stormwind. I would meet this Anduin Lothar” She said “Perhaps the Alliance and I can figure out another way to kill Raidus, I’ll never get close to him now.” 

Khadgar reached out and took her hand, stopping her as he turned her around “Look, I’m sorry. I had no idea.” Truly he felt terrible. Clearly she had spent a long time under cover and he had bundled in and ruined all of that in a matter of days. 

She smiled, possibly the first real smile he had ever seen from her “You don’t need to apologise Khadgar. I could’ve kept my cover and left you to die. I made a choice and I don’t regret it.”

“Why?” he asked “Why did you save me?”

Her smile widened, amused and she took his face in her hands and crashed her mouth against his. He took hold of her hips and pulled her against him, snaking his hands around her middle as he kissed her back.

She pulled away “Because you’re an idiot” she said, stepping back out of his embrace “Come on, we need to get out of here. Raidus knows a mage came looking for him, they’re coming for you.”

Khadgar followed her as she wound through the alleyways, keeping out of sight as they made their way back to the inn where his horse and his things still where. 

She walked with her head held high, sure of herself, but he’d have been lying if he said he wasn’t afraid. 

They rounded a corner, less than half a dozen streets away from the inn and ran into a group of street thugs, no doubt looking for them “There!” he heard the shout as he and Y/N both dropped to the ground, diving for cover behind a bunch of old barrels. 

In a second she was back on her feet, flinging knives at their would-be attackers at the same time Khadgar hurled an arcane blast at them. He heard grunts and thuds as her knifes buried themselves in their targets and bodies fell. 

Khadgar rose to his feet and unleased a pyroblast at the remaining men, incinerating one and scattering the others. 

Y/N ran to retrieve her knives then joined him, taking his hand as they broke into a dead run on their way back to the inn.

He may not have found what he came from, but he was leaving with something much more valuable. 


End file.
